Side bearing for railway-cars.



No. 696,385. Patented mar. 25, |902. J. C. WANDS.

SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY GARS.

' (Application med Nov. 19, 1901.1 ma Model.; 2 sheets-sheet l,

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fi "M l -55." i uw "ummi 'No. 696,385. Patented Mar. 25, |902. J. C. WANDS. SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

(No Model.)

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JOHN C. WANDS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,385, dated March 25, 1902.

Application filed November 19, 1901. Serial No. 82,917. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WANDS, acitizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Side Bearings for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a top plan view of my improved side bearing, a part of same being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2,Fig.1. Fig. Sis a side elevational View, the spring-housings at each end being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the spacing-plate removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is an end elevational view, and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view, of the spacing plate or frame.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in roller side bearings for cars, the object being to construct a plate in such manner that a greater travel of the upper bearing member is permitted relative to the travel of the antifriction devices, whereby the antifriction devices are located under the upper member of the side bearing at all times and in their travel do not pass beyond the edges of the truck-bolster. lu my present construction the peripheries of the burdencarrying rollers do not bear upon a trackplate; but said rollers are provided with reduced portions in the form of axles which are supported upon tracks in such manner that the relative travel of the upper member as compared to the distance of movement of the rollers in a horizontal direction is in the ratio of the length of the diameter of the enlarged portions of the rollers to the length of the diameter of the reduced portions or axles of said rollers.

With these objects in View my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, l iudicatesthe bolster.

2 indicates the base-plate, preferably in the form of a malleable casting provided with perforated lugs, whereby it may be attached to the bolster.

3 indicates springhousings arranged at tending under the spring-housings, said channels being open at each end, whereby the air is permitted to sweep therethrough and remove the dust falling into the channels through these slots G. In this way the channels are kept clean.

7 indicates spring-followers arranged in the housings, which are designed to cooperate with the fixed abutments 4 and 5. Between these spring-followers are springs 8, whose function is to restore the antifriction device to a central position. The inner walls of these spring-housings are slotted, as at 9, for the purpose of permitting the play of projections lOon the roller-spacin g frame l1. l There is a projection l() at each corner of the frame cooperating with the spring-followers, where= by when the frame is moved in either direction the springs at the opposite sides of the device are compressed and energy stored in said springs to center the frame ll when the' rollers are relieved. i

The casting 2 referred to is provided with tracks l2, preferably concentric to the'kingpin of the truck. These tracks are preferably made integral with the casting, but may be separable, if desired. As shown in Fig. 2, the tracks, of which there are three illustrated in the drawings,are of ditt'erentheights, the inner track being the highest, while the outer track is the lowest. These tracks support what I will call the axles7 of rollers 13. These axles are fixed to the rollers and are in reality reduced portions thereof. Referring to Fig. 5, it will be observed that the axles are made separate from the rollers and that the bearing ends of the axles, which. are designated as 14, have different diameters, thc

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the'innerand outerbearing'ends'of theaxle's bearing ends resting upon the inner (or highest) track being smallest, while the contiguous ends of the axles or alined rollers which bear upon the middle tr'ack are of the same diameter, but larger than the inner bearing ends, and the bearing ends which rest upon the outer (or lowest) track are the largestin These differences in the diameters of the bearing ends of the axles compensate for the difference in travel of the ends of the axles moving in different arcs described from the same center. In order to reduce the cost of manufacture, all of the rollers 13 are preferably of the same diameter and have openings through their centers of the same diameter. The body portions of the axles are of such size as to lit tightly in the openings in the rollers designed to receive them, said axles protruding on each side of said rollers, and in manufacture one set of axles has a reduced end, (indicated at (1,) while the other set has an enlarged end, (indicated at c.) The opposite ends b of both sets of axles are of the same diameter and rest upon the middle track, the reduced ends of one set resting upon the high track and the enlarged ends of the other set resting uponthe low track.

' The frame 11 referred to is in'skeleton form and is provided with semicircular recesses on its under side' for receiving the bearing endsof the axles for the purpose of spacing the rollers a proper dis tance apart. The ends of some of these recesses may have walls for preventing endwise movementof the rollers; These recesses are in radial alinement and serve to maintain the axes of the rollers radial to the king-pin of thev truck in all posi-` tions.' Assh'own in Fig. 4, the frame 11'is constructed so as to rest upon the tracks of diderentheights, and in operation said frame is desighed'to travel with the rollers, and in so doinglit will compress the restoring-springs, so that when the rollers are relievedfof load the restoringlsprings' will center the frame and its carriedrollers.y ,y

AReferring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the' centers "of all of the rollerslie in the same horizontal'plane, whereby the peripherie's lof said rollers canco'p'erate with the hat horizontal face of the upper member of the bearing, that the rollers rotate independently of each other, thatthe differences in the diameters of ofthe respective sets of rollers'cause them to travel ih an arc of a circle with the least possible'friction, that the frame 11 maintains the rollersin radial position with respect to the king-pin'of the truck at all times, said frame being guided in its movement by the spring-housings, and that when the rollers, which may be designated as antifriction devices, areshifted to either side the distance of travel of 'the upper member of the side bearing riding upon the rollers in a horizontal direction is proportionately greater than the distance of movement of the centers of the rollers as the difference between the dil ameters of said rollers and their bearingaxles. For illustration, if in actual practice the enlarged portion of the rollers was one and one-half inches in diameter the travel of the upper bearing member in imparting one complete revolution to said rollers would be approximately 4.71 inches. If the reduced innerbearingend riding upon the high track was one-half an inch in diameter, the distance of travel in horizontal direction or the displacement of this bearing end would be about 1.57 inches, being in they ratio of one to three as compared to the travel in a horizontal direction of the upper bearing member. lf the outer bearing end of the axles of the inner sot of rollers was nine-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, the displacement of this end of the roller due to this increased diameter of its bearing end would exceed the displacement of the inner bearing end .197 inch or the distance of travel would be approximately 1.67 inches as compared to 1. 57 inches of the inner end. With respect to the outer set of rollers, if the inner bearing end was nine-sixteenths of an inch and its travel was 1.67 inches and the outer bearing end was ve-eighths of an inch in diameter its travel would be 1.96 inches, this increased diameter of the outer end of the respective rollers compensating in each instance for the difference in the arc of the ci-rcle, causing the outer bearing ends of the axle to travel a greater distance, relieving the rollers and their bearing-axles of friction, and preventing the bearing ends of the axles, which are housed in the frame 11, from bindin'g'in said frame.

The differential travel of the antifriction device and the upper member of the side bearing is of great advantage in railway rolling-stock, where the trucks'are forced to follow track curves of short radii, as the 'antifriction device never' in'its travel passes beyondthe edges of the truck-bolster, but alwaysv occupies a position above said bolster to transmit the load imparted through the upper bearing member directlyonto thebolster. Furthermore, by this construction due to the limited travel of the antifriction'device'sthe bolster is not subjected t-o excessive torsional strains. p

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a cylindrical antifriction-roller, and means for causing an unequal circumferential travel of the ends of said roller; substantially as described.Y

2. lIn a side bearing for cars, the combination with a cylindrical antifriction-roller, and

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means for causing the outer end of said roller to travel at a greater circumferential speed than the inner end; substantially as described.

3. In a side bearing forcars, a cylindrical antifriction-roller-having reduced ends of different diam eters; substantially as described.

4. In a side bearing for cars, a cylindrical antifriction-roller having cylindrical axles, the axle at the outer end of said roller being of greater diameter than the axle at the inner end; substantially as described. p

5. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with curved tracks having horizontallydisposed treads,and acylindrical antifrictionroller mounted to travel on said curved tracks,

the bearing ends of said roller traveling at unequal circumferential speeds; substantially as described. i

6. In a side bearing for cars, the combina-A ferent diameters copperating with said track 5l substantially as described p 8. In a side bearing for cars, the combinationwith curved tracks, and a cylindrical auf. tifriction-roller mounted between said tracksand having cylindrical bearing-axles of different diameters cooperating With said tracks; substantially as described. l y

9. In a side bearing for cars, the .combination With fiatsurfaced tracks of different heights, of a cylindrical antifriction-roller arranged between said tracks and. cylindricall bearing-axles of dierent diameters cooper.-

ating Withfsaid tracks; substantially as de-A scribed.

IO. In a side'bearing for cars, the combination With tracks, of `rollers on said tracks, a frame cooperating with said rollers, a springhousing for guiding said frame in its move-- ment, and a centering-spring in said housing, said spring-housing having slots in its bottom Wall for the escape of dirt, dust, ttc.; substantially as described.

ll. In a side bearing for cars, the combinay -tion with tracks, ot' spring-housings arranged parallel thereto, rollers on said tracks, springs in said housings for centering said rollers,- openings in the bottom Walls of the springhousings for the escape of dust, dirt, ttc., and open-ended channels for -receiving the dirt, dust, dsc.- falling, through said openings; substantially as described.

l2. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with tracks, of rollers arranged thereon, centering springs for said rollers, slotted housings for said centering-springs,` and.

means for keeping the spring-housings free from dirt; substantially as described.

13. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with curved tracks of diiferentheights, of a cylindrical antifriction-roller, and cylindrical bearing-axles of different diameters at the lendsof said roller for supporting the same between the curved tracks, whereby thepec ripheral speed of the roller is greater than the vtion With an antifriction -roller, means for causing the ends of said roller to travel at different circumferential speeds, and means for returning said roller to a normal position at'- ter displacement; substantially as described.

16. In a side 'nearing for cars, the combination with an antifriction-roller, Whose outer end has a greater circumferential speed than i its inner end, and means for returning said roller to a normal position after displacement; substantially as described.

17.- In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an-antifriction f roller having `reduced ends of `different diameters, and resilient means for returning Asaid roller toa nor-V mal 'A position after displacement; substan- A- tiallyas described.

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18,. In a side bearing for cars, thecombiua-` trudin g axles, the aXle at the outer endof said roller being ot' greater diameter than the axle at theinner end, and resilient means forreturning said roller to a normal position after displacement; substantially as described. c I9. In a side bearing for cars,rthe combina tionrwith a curved track, of an antifrictionroller havingreduced cylindrical spindles of different diameters mounted to travel ion4 said track, and means for returning said roller to a normal position` after displacement; substantially as described. i c 20. .In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a curved track, of aniantifri'ctionroller having cylindrical bearing-axles of different diameters cooperating with said track,- vvhereby the roller is caused totraveluin a curved path, and means for returning said `tion with an antifriction-roller havinglpro.-

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roller to anormal position after displacement 5 substantially as described. i.

` 2l. In a side bearing-for cars, the combination with tracks of dilerent heights, of a roller mounted `upon said tracks and having cylindrical spindles of different diameters coperating with said tracks, and means for return ingsaidroller to a normal position after displacement; substantially as described.

22. In a side bearing for cars, the combination With tracks of different heights, of a roller arranged between said tracks and having bearing-axles of different diameters coilpcr-V ating With said tracks, and means for returning said roller to a normal position after displacement; substantially as described.

23. In a side bearingfor cars, the combination with a plurality of tracks, independentlyrotatable antifriction-rollers having bearingaxles supported by said tracks, and a frame cooperating with said rollers for maintaining proper relation thereof to each other; substantially as described.

24. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a plurality of tracks, of independently-rotatable rollers whose bearing-axles are supported by said tracks, and a frame for receiving the bearing-axles of said rollers, said frame moving with said rollers and maintaining them in proper relation to each other;

substantially as described.

25. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a plurality of tracks, of rollers arranged in sets between said tracks,said rollers being independently rotatable, and a frame for maintaining the axes of rotation of all of said rollers in radial alinement with the kingpin of the truck; substantially as described.

26. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a plurality ot' curved tracks, of rollers arranged between said tracks, bearingaxles carrying said rollers and supported by said tracks, said bearing-axles at the opposite ends of the rollers being of unequal diameters, and a frame for spacing said rollers apa-rt; substantially as described.

27. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a plurality of curved tracks, of antifriction-rollers arranged in'sets between said tracks, all of said rollers being independently rotatable, bearing-axles for carrying said rollers, the bearing ends of said axles being of unequal diameter, and a frame for housing in the be rino` ends of said axles and spacing said rollers-apart; substantially as described.

28. In aside bearing for cars, the combination `with a plurality of tracks, of sets of rollers arranged between said tracks and supported thereon by axles of smaller diameter thanv said rollers, a frame for spacing said rollers apart, and resilient means cooperating With the frame for restoring the same and said rollers to acentral position after operation; substantially as described.

29. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with curved tracks, of rollers arranged between said tracks and having bearing-axles supported by said tracks, means for causing said rollers to travel in an arc of a circle, a frame for spacing said rollers apart, and springs at each side of said frame forrestoring the same and the said rollers to a central position; substantially as described.

30. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with curved tracks of different heights, of rollers having bearing-axles of different diameters supported by said tracks, a frame cooperating with said rollers to space the same, springs at opposite sides ot said frame, and iixed abutments With which said springs cooperate; substantially as described.

3l. In a side bearing for cars, the combination With a casting formed With spring-housings at each side and a plurality of curved tracks, of antifriction-rollers mounted between said tracks, a frame for spacing said rollers apart, springs in said housings, fixed abutments, and spring-followers With which said frame cooperates; substantially as described. l

32. In a side bearing forcars, the combination With spring-housings, of curved tracks between said housings, antifriction rollers mounted between said tracks, a frame cooperating with said antifriction-rollers, springs in said housings for cooperating with said frame, and fixed abutments against which the ends of the springs are seated, one of said fixed abutments being removable; substantially as described.

In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a plurality ot' tracks, of rollers mounted between said tracks and having axles supported by the tracks, of a frame for spacing said rollers apart, means for guiding said'frame in its movement, and centering vdevices for restoring the frame and said rolltion-roller having a cylindrical axle formed with a reduced portion at one end; substantially as described.

3G. In a side bearing for cars, an antit'riction-roller having a cylindrical axle formed with an enlarged portion at one end; substantially as described.

37. In a side bearing for cars, antit'rictionrollers provided With axles whose body portions are of uniform diameter throughout a greater portion of their length, the projecting end of one of said axles being reduced and the projecting end of the other of said axles being increased in diameter, in combination with tracks for supporting the projecting ends of said axles; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 15th day of November, 1901;

JOHN C. VVANDS.

l/Vitnesses z' FREDERICK R. CORNWALL, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

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